Arnold Academy

Qiqi Wu: I met with a director/investor who just finished her first film and would like to have BTS vertical videos for promotion. I’d like to take the opportunity of editing the BTS for my portfolio.

• Ask around your peers if the standard practice is per video, or if per hour, per day, or weekly makes more sense before locking a flat rate.
• Be cautious especially if there is no fixed “air date,” where there could be endless notes.
• Build into the rate beyond editing, because you may be figuring out topics, narrative threads, genre and creative direction.
• This is a great opportunity where you can be strategically imbalanced and build great relationships as long as you protect your mental and emotional health.

👉 Click here to schedule your own Hot Seat

David Feinberg: I was offered a documentary editing job that is worth taking. How do I craft a proposal and handle concerns regarding flat rate?

• Understand the baseline expectations to make sure everybody is on the same page.
• Make sure you have the same definition of a “submission cut.”
• Put guardrails around the flat fee by setting an out date and a weekly rate if the project extends..
• There's a difference between your rate and your value. Define your value first before figuring out your rate.
• Lead with relationship over transaction by leaving room for future collaboration and mutual value.
• Talk through it rather than just sending an email to get a sense of what their reaction is, and center the conversation around defining success the same way.
• After the conversation, follow up with an email to confirm that you’re on the same page, with a detailed writing of your agreement.

👉 Click here to schedule your own Hot Seat

Kalika Sharma: Really having a hard time with this whole “create space” thing Zack suggested last Hot Seat. Rebel that I am, I rewrote all my website copy and About pages instead of resting. I like the new copy that I wrote. Do I really need the space? I feel like space = indecision. 

• “If you struggle to meditate for 15 minutes, it means you need to meditate for an hour.” Be comfortable with the discomfort of having that space and think of what you are trying to avoid by continuing to work.
• Treat this season like an ultramarathon, not a sprint. You won’t make it to the end of the race with non-stop efforts without pit stops.
• Throw yourself a “pity party” to give yourself the space to be pissed, be angry and be depressed, but it should have an end date.
• Turn a shiny object into an opportunity that can help you build a large audience and fill the gap that hasn’t been filled yet.
• Find real-world problems where you can teach a very specific use case which solves very specific problems.

👉 Click here to schedule your own Hot Seat

Jacob Wells: I want to send a follow up to the message I posted in the wins, will send the deck and thank him for keeping me in mind for future editing opportunities, but should I push to connect with Jack who I initially connected with on LinkedIn. He is the head of the show. 

• Reframe rejection as “not the right fit right now” because great work and not getting the role can both be true at the same time.
• Ask “what could I bring to the table next time?” and uncover skills gaps rather than asking “what did I do wrong,” which invites negative feedback.
• Allow yourself to be disappointed but keep in mind that you also created the opportunity through cold outreach, which is a huge win and a repeatable process.
• Set a clock to give yourself the space to process the feeling of frustration and rejection.
• Keep relationships warm with “value bombing” through thoughtful insights and how their work impacted you, with zero ask.
• Take a soft approach and keep the pressure off by giving them exactly what they asked for and walking away.

👉 Click here to schedule your own Hot Seat

Ted Husband: I had an interview for a short film that felt pretty perfect for me, they went a different direction, and I want to workshop interview techniques so I can feel confident I’m putting the best me out there.

• Don’t automatically assume that you didn’t get hired because of the interview. There are a lot that are outside of your control that led to their decision.
• Build mock interviews around real projects so feedback gets specific instead of broad strokes.
• Bring details about the hypothetical project, genre, medium, and who’s the interviewer to get drilled with better questions.
• Bring details about the hypothetical project, genre, medium, and who’s the interviewer to get drilled with better questions.
• Dig into interview prep archives for nuance around three act structure, better questions, and deeper preparation strategies.



Useful Resource: 

Mock Interview with Chris Cavanaugh

Office Hours Archive - Interview Prep

👉 Click here to schedule your own Hot Seat

David McErlain: I reached out to a documentary editor I worked with before about workflows, AI, and grabbing lunch. I haven't heard back after a week, and I’m wondering: should I send a follow-up now or wait?

• Assuming that they are in the middle of a project and it is not urgent to either party, wait for two full weeks before following up.
• As long as your follow up message provides enough value, sending it after two weeks would have a higher likelihood of getting an immediate response.
• Add new unique and authentic value in every follow-up by continuing to learn more about their work and sharing why it had a positive impact on you.
• Use AI noise to your advantage because real human messages now stand out faster than ever.

👉 Click here to schedule your own Hot Seat

David Feinberg: I had a strong interview for a meaningful indie project, and I’m open to a lower rate if the collaboration and project alignment feel right. How do I approach the conversation for a reasonable rate?

• Set the expectation that your rate is what people are willing to pay you.
• Frame the value first by sharing what your work would be worth, then open the discussion for negotiation.
• Negotiate more than money by exploring schedule flexibility, fewer days, or protected time when budget is limited.
• The quality of the relationship is more important. Be more honest and authentic with your rates given you’re dealing in the indie world. 
• Avoid the open-ended flat fee. Always give an out date or a negotiation date if fixed rate is unavoidable.
• Define your floor before the conversation so you know the minimum where the project still feels worth doing.

👉 Click here to schedule your own Hot Seat

Julie Fahrbach: I’d like more balance between authenticity and sustainability in my business.

• Authenticity and sustainability doesn’t have to be opposing forces that need to be balanced, rather something that should co-exist.
• The fastest path to connect is being vulnerable. Allow yourself to be vulnerable from where you’re struggling rather than portray that you have everything figured out, which helps people feel that they’re not alone.
• Find a sweet spot where you buy yourself time and energy to build for what comes next, while also taking time and energy on doing your sessions.
• Use the “sleep easy” number to separate financial reality from emotional fear when deciding how much work is enough.
• Consider raising prices to buy back time and create space for more sustainable offerings without adding more hours.
• Offer something that justifies an increased price by providing more value that’s easier to scale, and doesn’t take away more time and energy from you.
• Think of things that cost you more when doing it by yourself vs hiring someone to help.
• Create more margin between sessions or treat transitions and recovery rituals as part of the work, not something squeezed into leftover time.
• Create more margin between sessions that can restore energy and improve boundaries.

👉 Click here to schedule your own Hot Seat

Brandon Holmes: I want to develop a networking strategy for someone I'm hoping to turn into a mentor.

• Mentorship has to be earned. Build the comfort and trust using the cycle of mentorship: 
• Provide value and make them feel good about themselves by making their work feel seen and useful. 
• Tell a brief story of where you are, where you want to go next and what’s stopping you.
• Ask about their story or expertise that can be useful to you.
• Make sure to listen to their stories and advice.
• Take action on their advice.
• Reconnect to share your results and the impact they had on you.
• Repeat the cycle by asking another question.
• Meet them where they are and strategize to set yourself apart from everybody else.
• Find the exact point where their journey mirrors yours and ask how they moved past the trench that you’re stuck in.
• Show you did the homework by asking about the part they did not explain publicly.
• Keep the opening game simple. Start the conversation and gauge the quality of their response to get a clear intuition of their willingness to help.

👉 Click here to schedule your own Hot Seat

→ If you haven't already, 👋 please say hello to our newest members!

• Where do you feel the most urgency to learn AI RIGHT NOW?!

• Come join us for a functional fitness workout at Warner Park in Woodland Hills

• Congrats to ​Alec Novoselsky​ for turning a two-day conform into a month-long opportunity to learn on a micro-budget feature! 
• Congrats to ​Ted Husband​ for accomplishing the scary goal he set in the Focus Accelerator program and completing his first 10K race!
• Congrats to ​Bari Winter​ for attending the LA premiere of A Peculiar Morning and celebrating its Audience Choice Award win at the UCLAx Film Festival!

• WORK Office Hours - Tue, 8:30am PT
• LIFE Office Hours - Thu, 8:30am PT
• Outreach Power Hour in Study Hall - Fridays, 8-12pm PT

🧭 Here's how to Navigate the Academy

💻 Here's How Office Hours Works

❓ Click here for Student Support